Eastbourne Eco Church to host free energy-saving event

Emmanuel Church in Eastbourne (48a Upperton Rd, BN21 1LQ) will be hosting a free energy-saving event between 9.30 - 11am on the morning of Wednesday, November 13.

The church is hosting the event with local community energy co-op Energise Sussex Coast to celebrate its having been awarded a Bronze Eco Church Award through the A Rocha UK Project in September.

The event will explain how you can reduce heat loss & damp in your home while lowering your energy use and bills, as well as exploring larger energy efficiency upgrades like insulation, solar & heat pumps - including available grants. There will also be a Q&A, free energy-saving equipment, and the chance to book a one-to-one advice appointment.

The event is open to all, with no need to book and free tea and refreshments.

The UK's housing stock is notoriously leaky and draughty, with roughly half of the UK's 27 million homes falling below a good level energy efficiency rating (an ‘EPC rating’ of C). Home heating is also a major source of the UK carbon emissions, accounting for over 10% of the UK's territorial emissions. Only an estimated 5% of homes are currently heated by renewable heating systems (84% are heated by gas).

Stephen Brown who led the church through the process to achieve the award said: “At Emmanuel Church, we are committed to reducing our environmental impact. We're proud to have recently received an Eco Church award, and are excited to host an event to help our local community save money on energy bills through practical steps to reduce usage.

"By coming together to learn about energy efficiency and available grants, we can make a real difference - not just for ourselves, but for communities around the world affected by climate change."

Founded in 2012, local community benefit cooperative Energise Sussex Coast works to tackle the climate crisis and energy injustice through community-owned renewable power and energy-saving schemes. It runs a free Energy Advice service to help local residents bring down the cost of their electricity, gas and water bills: 01424 390 062.

Its sister coop, Energise South, has raised community investment to finance and install solar arrays on eight community buildings, including Baird Primary School and St Leonards Academy.